Skewer for winding machine



Sept. 27, 1960 Filed Nov. 22, 1957 SKEWER FOR WINDING MACHINE I 2 She'ets -Sheet 1 rrn ' I IN V EN TOR. FRAWM m/ r L mmvsmp Sept. 27, 1960 vvF. L. TOWNSEND 2,954,133

' 's' EwER FOR WINDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22. 1957 v 7 Y z Sheets-Sheet2 INVEKNVTOR. FRANKLIN Z. TOWWSf/Vfl BY g 4 ,4;

Mar

ATTORNEYS 2,954,183 'SKEWER FOR WINDING MACHINE Franklin L. Townsend,Rockford, Ill., assignor to Barber This invention relates generally to'skewers forsup- 2 he States atent -1 porting yarn bobbins in a winderor'spoolerand is an improvement on the bobbin holding structuredisclosedin US. Patent No. 1,686,102, issued October 2, 1928: In

more particularity, the invention concerns a novel skewer f' readilyadapted for use with bobbins of varying size.-

The primary object of the invention is to'provide 'a skewer, for use ina winder or spooler, which utihzes an economical, replaceable tipadapting the skewer to han- Another object is to form the skewer and itsreplace able tip so that the tip may be quickly and easily slid onto theskewer, snap-locked into place, and removed by hand when necessarywithout requiring special tools'or equipment.

The invention also resides in the novel arrangement and resilientmounting of the bobbin holding fingers in the. skewer which preventsdamage to the fingers, for example, if they are forced inwardly, as whenthe replaceable tip is removed while the fingers are extended to theirbobbin holding positions, or forced outwardly as when an attempt is madeto install a bobbin without first retracting the fingers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a winder with a bobbin pocketpartially broken away to show a skewer embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting head andreplaceable tip of the skewer shown in Fig. l.

7 2,954,183 Patented Sept. 27, 1960 ice spindle 10 between a loadingposition and a running position, shown in Fig. l, the spindle is pivotedon a counterweighted crank arm 20 fixed to a rotatable shaft 21, and isslidable between a pair of guide pins 22, 23. The shaft 21 is rotated bya pinion 25 driven by a slidable rack 26 carrying a cam follower 27. Forengaging the cam follower a cam 28 is provided on a traveler 29. Inoperation, movement of the traveler to a position adjacent the pocket-14causes the rack 26 to be cammed downwardly. This rotates the pinion 25,shaft 21, and crank arm 20 counterclockwise as shown in Fig. 1 andcauses the spindle 10 to be drawn downwardly between the guide pins '22,23. Continued rotation of the crank arm 20 swings the: spindle 10 intoits loading (dot-dash) position.

For automatic removal of an empty bobbin the bobbin pocket 14 isprovided with a floor 31 having a slot 32 within which the spindle 10swings. When the spindle is drawn downwardly by initial downwardrotation of the crank 20, the lower end of'the bobbin B strikes theedges of the slot 32 andis lifted from the spindle to fall :freely tothe right (Fig. 1) into a suitable receiving hopper. When the spindlereaches its loading position, another bobbin may befitted thereon androtation of the crank arm-20 completed so as to swing the new bobbinback into the running position. In accordance with the invention, thedetails of which are set forth in Figs. 2-'7, the skewer 10 includes ashaft 34 having a mounting head 35 which supports a replaceable tip oradaptor. 36having slots for passing a set of bobbin holding fingers 37having a sufficient stroke as to be capable of operation with a Widerange of adaptor diameters. Thus numerous types and sizes of bobbinsreceived from many different spinning mills can be handled by the skewer10 by simply replacing the tip 36 with a similar tip of suitable size. i

Preferably, the tip or adaptor 36 is generally annular in configurationand is provided with a flared skirt portion 41 and a conically taperedend portion 42 so that a bobbin may be quickly and easily telescopedthereover and seated against the skirt portion 41. A plurality ofperipherally spaced slots 44 are provided for permitting the'bobbi'nholding fingers 37 to move therethrough and engage a bobbin mounted onthe tip 36. Also, the sides of the tip 36 are flattened as at 43 topermit the tip to be drawn through the slot 32 in the floor of thebobbin pocket 14. V a

The mounting head 35 is preferably cylindrical in outer configurationand is provided with a shoulder flange 46 adapted to seat thetip 36 whenthe latter is fitted Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the skewer shownin Fig. l with a bobbin being fitted thereon.

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3 and shows the bobbin locked on the skewerand the latter shifted to running position.

Fig. 5 is a section through the bobbin taken generally along line 55 inFig. 3 and showing the top of the skewer.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the retracting member for the bobbinholding fingers utilized in the illustrated As covered in PetersonPatent 1,686,102, to swing the onto the head. The head is also dividedby peripherally spaced, axially extending slots 47 which register withthe slots formed in the tip. The slots 47 serve the dual function ofproviding a recess into which the fingers 37 may be retracted and ofdividing the head 35 into a plurality of narrow sections 48. In thepresent instance, the resilience of these sections 48 is utilized tosnap-lock the replaceable tip 36 onto the head 35. This is accomplishedby providing the tip with an internal annular ridge 49 and the head witha detenting groove 4911. Therefore, when the tip 36 is fitted onto thehead 35, the yielding of the head sections 48 will permit the tip tosnap into a seated position.

In order to prevent rotation of the tip 36 and to insure registration ofthe grooves 44,-47 when the tip is snap-locked in position, the tip andtheshoulder flange 46 are provided with cooperating tongue and slot 51,52, respectively. So that the tip 36 may be easily unsnapped from thehead 35, the former preferably is prov vided with a recess 53 whichpermits insertion of a suitable prying tool. r

The fingers37 are pivoted at their lower ends within the slots 47 forswinging movement between their excontrol of a cam operated plunger 55.As shown, the

shaft 34 is hollow and the plunger 55 is slidably mounted andresiliently urged downwardly therein by a comp ies:

siori spring 56 bearing on anenlarged'carrrfollower s'l,

fixed to the lower end of the 'plunger, -The cani, fol,

lower 57 rides on a cam 58 carried rigidly, by the 'ar'rh 20 and havinga cylindrical outer dwell portion and a recess 59 When the skewer It? isin itsrunningor Fig. 4 position, the cam follower 57"rests withintherecess' 59 of the cam 58- and therefo'retheplungerSS occupies itslower position. However, when the skewer is swung to its loadingposition, shown in, Fig; 3, the cahrfol-I lower 57 rides upon thedwellportionof the. cam 58 and the plunger 55 is thus thrust upwardlyvwithinthe shaft 34 against the urging of the spring 56.

As a feature of the invention, the, pivoted bobbin holding fingers 37-are resiliently urged toward either their-retracted or extendedpositions in response to slid ing movement oftheplu'nger' 55. Forretracting the fingers, an internal slide 61' is provided, slidablymounted on a rod 63 and biased upwardly by a spring 62 which pressesagainst the upper end of the plunger 55. The slide 61 is provided withperipherally spaced wings or abutments 64 adapted to extend radiallyinto the slots 47 so as to underlie the fingers 37. The abutments haveinwardly facing surfaces which engage the outer edges of the fingers toswing the fingers 37 inwardly under the resilient urging of thecompressed spring 52 i For resiliently urging the fingers 3'7into' theirextended position the plunger'rod 63 .is fixed 'tothe plunger "55 and anactuating block tisis' provided at the outer" end thereof and disposedso as to engage the fingers 37 above their pivot points. Downwardsliding movement of the plunger 55, under theiurging of the spring 56,causes the block 65 to resiliently urge the fingers 37 toward theirextended, bobbin holding positions and into engage ment with the bobbinB fitted'on the tip. It willbe understood that the spring 56is strongerthan the spring 62 so that the former is effective to overcome the forceexerted by the latter, when the cam 58 permits the plunger to movedownwardly. 7

It will beobserved that the fingers 37 are resiliently biased,ratherthan' rigidly forced, into both theirextended and retractedpositions. Thus inadvertent inward movement of the fingers, such aswould occur if a-bobbin were forcibly removed while the fingerswereiextended, will simply swing the fingers againsttheblock 65 withyielding of the spring 56. Conversely, if an attempt is made to slide abobbin onto the skewer with the fingers extended (see Fig. 7) thefingers simply swing against the abutment member 61 accompanied byyielding of the spring 62.

Although any number of variably sized replaceable tips 36 can beutilized with the skewer 10, it has been found that with a minimum ofthree different tips all bobbins in current commercial use can behandled by the skewer. Adapting the winder to handle bobbins of varyingsize merely involves lifting one replaceable tip from the mounting head35 and snapping another, suitably sized, tip in place. Heretofore, itwas necessary to substitute an entirely different skewer each time sucha change was made and this operation was both time consuming andexpensive since it required utilizing a complete set of skewers,including the bobbin holding finger actuating mechanisms, rather thanmerely a set of economical, replaceable tips a I claim as myinvention: 1. A bobbin supporting skewer for handling bobbins havingbores of varying diameter comprising, in .combination, a hollow shafthaving a mounting head at one end, a plurality of bobbin holding fingerscarried on said head and movable between retractedand extended 7Positions, a replaceable tip mounted on said head and V 4 having anouter diameter corresponding to the bore size of the bobbin to behandled, said tip and sa dhead ing respective mating portions, toISSlTItE IIllY S IiaP-TOEK said tip on said head and prevent relativerotation, said tip and said head also being formed to provide anntermediate recess when snaplocked together permitting insertion of atool for readily separating the tip from the head, said tip having aplurality of opemngsahned with said fingers so that-thefingers mayextendithrough said openings into engagement with a bobbin, fitted on .7

said tip, and a plunger slidably mounted insaid shaft having nie'a'i'isfor retracting or extending said fingers upon axial movement of theplunger.

' 2. A bobbin supporting-skewer for handl ng-bobbins having bores ofvarying diametercomprising, n combination, a hollow shaft having agenerally cylindrical mounting head at one end, said head being dividedby peripherally spaced and axially extending slots forming narrowresilient head portions parallel to oneanothena bobbin holding-fingerpivoted in each-of said slots and swingablebetween retracted andextendedpositions, a generally annular replacement tip -slidably fittedoversaid head por tions and having an-outer diameter corresponding tothe bore size of ithexbobbin to be -handled,-- said tip and saidresilient headportions having interengaging detentelements snap-lockingthe tip on said head, said tip having a plurality-of slots alinedwithsaid =fingers so that the fingers may swing through said slotsintoengagementwith a bobbin fittedon said tip,and a plunger-slidablymounted in said shaft having means for-'retractingor extendin saidfingers upon axial movement of the plunger;-

3, -A bobbin supporting skewer forhandling bs igsiiis having boresot"varying diameter comprising, in combine tion, a hollow'shaft havingamounting head withan outerdiameter slightly iess than the, page at thesizfes of bobbins to be handled, a pluralityof bobbin holding fingerscarried on said head and movable between inwar'd positions, s'aidheadhaving 'a'plu'rality' of slotsjalined with said fingers so that thefingers may extend throiighsaid slots into engagement with a bobbinfitted on said'head, 'first spring :ineans for;urging'said fingersinwardly, a plunger-slidahly mounted within'said shaft, a camhaving adwell portion and a reeess, second spring means'for biasing said plungeragainst said cam, and an element on Said P unger for engaging and urg ngI said fingers wardly when said plunger is aimed with sa d'eam recess,

. H the second spring means being stronger fi spring means so that thesetting of the-earn determines toward which of said positions thefingers are resiliently urged.

4. A bobbin supporting skewer for handling bobbins I having bores ofvarying diameter comprising, in combinationya hollowshaft having amounting head at oneend, a plurality of bobbin holding fingersc'arriedon said head and movable between inward and outward positions, a

replaceabletip mounted on said head and having a flared seatingsurface-for accommodating a {range of bore sizes of the bobbins to behandled, saidtip having a plurality of slots alined with said fingers sothat the fingers mayexs tend through said slots into engagement with abobbin fitted on said tip, a first resiliently biased plunger member forurging said fingers outwardly, a second resiliently biased plungermember for urging said fingers inwardly,

and a cam for operating upon one of said plunger 'mem-l" hers;

References Cited in-the file" of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS623,493 I Tivy et'al.'; Apr. 18, 1899 1,259,448 =Reynoldsi;i Mar.12,1918 1,686,102 Peterson Oct. 2,1928 2,168,248 Staufert Aug. 1, 19392,437,100 LambachQ Mar.'2 ,"1948

